Jeff Watson and Conservatives gear up for May 2 federal election

Conservative incumbent MP Jeff Watson has started up the election machine.

Watson, who is seeking his fourth straight election win, opened his campaign headquarters in Essex last Wednesday, as well as, holding a campaign event Friday in Amherstburg at the United Communities Credit Union Complex.

“Last election, I asked voters in Essex to choose for themselves a seat at the table of a Stephen Harper Conservative government. To choose a voice not just to be heard in Ottawa, but someone who could sit down with Cabinet Ministers and bring home investments,” said Watson. “Voters in Essex said yes. And the people of Essex got an historic return investment on their vote.”

Watson said local unemployment numbers have fallen from 16 per cent at the climax of the depression to nine per cent, which it currently sits now. He added that “the trend is good” but more needs to be done to improve the region’s economy.

“The Harper Government is razor-focused to the economy,” said Watson.

Watson noted that there has been record stimulus funding that has flooded the area. Roughly $106 million have come to the area in recent years, approximately $22 million of which came Amherstburg’s way.

“Every job meant dignity, every job was a lifeline until the economy turned around,” he said.

Watson stated that a Liberal Government led by Michael Ignatieff would result in higher taxes and a stalled economy.

“Calling himself a ‘tax and spend’ Liberal, Ignatieff is the father of Stephane Dion’s carbon tax, he has refused to take a GST hike off the table, and he’s vowed to raise taxes $6 billion on main street businesses – including our local greenhouse operations,” said Watson. “It’s a move fellow Liberal Dwight Duncan called the ‘dumbest, short-sighted’ thing we can do right now.”

The Conservative MP said the NDP’s MP in Windsor have voted against every dollar and every job created through infrastructure stimulus and said the NDP MP’s are “shamelessly” taking credit for the funding in the city.

“You don’t get to vote against essential money and try to take credit for it later,” Watson stated.

Now that an election has been called, Watson said he is looking forward to being on the campaign trail, stating that the Conservative Party has a “solid record” to run on.

“Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party are the only party here for Essex and for Windsor,” said Watson.